Twin file

ABSTRACT

A unitary file construction having back-to-back work stations visibly isolated one from another by work station roll tops.

United States Patent [191 Snethen Apr. 30, 1974 [54] TWIN FILE 2,684,277 7/1954 Hamacher 312 290 [75] Inventor: Thomas H. Snethen, Dewittville,

NY, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Assigneez United Business Equipment 1,076,029 10/1954 France 312/297 Corporation, Buffalo, NY.

[22] Filed: Dec. 5, 1972 Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell [21] pp NO: 312,382 Attorney, Agent, or FzrmBean & Bean [52] US. Cl. 312/297, 312/198 51 1m. 01 A47b 53/00 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 312/198, 287, 290, 297,

312/304; 211/10, 128 A unitary file construction having back-to-back work stations visibly isolated one from another by work sta- [56] References Cited tion roll tops.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,330,611 7/1967 Heifetz 312/297 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 72 I2 10 4225 20 24- ll 42 I 42 a TWIN FILE Record handling equipment of the general type erriploying open topped record storage trays, wherein the trays are mounted in several levels within a tray storage unit and the trays of one or more upper levels are supported for sliding movement lengthwise of the unit to permit ready access to records contained within trays of a lowermost level, are well known in the art, as evidenced for instance by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,684,277 and 2,721,780. In prior constructions, the units afford access to stored records from one or both sides of the unit, depending upon system requirements and the floor space available for record storage. A drawback of present units of the double access variety is that record keeping output is diminished by talking across the unit and/or that a clerk on one side of the unit may be distracted by noise or conversation occurring on the other side of the unit. Also, the usable width or transverse dimension of double access units, and thus the storage capacity between adjacent walk or access ways, is restricted to the normal reach of the clerks. While attempts have been'made to alleviate these problems by placing solid backed single access units back-to-back, such asolution is undesirable from the standpoint of increased manufacturing costs and reduction in usable floor space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved double access record tray'storage unit, which serves to maximize available record storage area for a given available floor space, while preventing visual interference be tween clerks working on opposite sides of the unit.

In accordance with the present invention, a pair of identical record tray supporting modules are end supported in back-to-back relationship by common end panels and roll covers, which are provided one in association with each module, serve when in open condition to automatically shield an opposite module from view/More specifically, each of the roll covers is end supported by trackways'for movement between a unit closed condition, wherein it serves to cover the front and top of the module, and an open position, wherein it serves to close the rear of the module.

In accordance with the present invention, the modules may be attached end to end to form a series of interconnected double access units. In this type of construction, adjacent trackways and end supports of adjacent units are formed with hinged fronts in order to permit such fronts to be swung upwardly out of the way to permit unimpeded movement of the clerk lengthwise of the units.

DRAWINGS The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the twin file unit of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the file of the present invention modified to accommodate end to end mounting of adjacent units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Now referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the record storage file or unit of the present invention, which is designated as 10, generally includes a pair of like record storage modules 12, which define back-to-back working stations; and a pair of like, vertically upstanding end panels 14, which serve to end support both of the storage modules and maintain same in a horizontally disposed, back-to-back relationship. The modules may be suitably connected to the end panels, as by passing threaded fastener devices 16 downwardly through the modules and angle iron brackets 18 permanently fixed to facing surfaces of the end panels, as best shown in FIG. 3. Unit 10 would also preferably include a bridging member 20, which is end supported to extend between mid-points of the end panels in order to prevent articles from falling downwardly between the modules; and a pair of panels 22, which are end supported by the end panels one beneath each of the modules in order to afford privacy for clerks seated at the work stations defined by the modules and to brace or add rigidity to the unit.

Each of modules 12 generally includes a pair of open, essentially rectangular end frames 24, which are interconnected by and upstand relative to opposite ends of an elongated, open ended trough shaped storage device defined by a bottom supporting wall in the form of a panel 28 and by front and rear or back walls in the form of mounting rails 30 and 32 connected to upstand from front and rear marginal edges of panel 28, respectively; and a roll top or cover 34. A plurality of open topped, record storage trays are provided for use with each module; such trays being designated as 36 in FIGS. 1 and 2. Roll tops 34 may be of any desired construction, but arepreferably formed with a front or latching bar 38 and a plurality of pivotally interconnected paneled elements 40, as best shown in FIG. 3. For purposes of reference, a first panel element connected to front bar 38 is designated as 40a, whereas a last panel element is designated as 40n. Roll top 34 is slidably supported for movement between module or work area closed and opened positions by a pair of facing, essentially U -shaped guide tracks 42, which are carried by end frames 24 and may be considered as comprising interconnected front, top, rear and bottom sections 42a through 42d, respectively. 7

'In a preferred construction, each of modules 12 is adapted to support a plurality of trays 36 in two or more levels; the trays of a first or lowermost level being for instance, removably bottom supported on bottom panel 28 with their front and rear ends disposed adjacent rails 30 and 32, respectively, and the trays of one or more upper levels being supported singularly or in groups for sliding movement lengthwise of the module by trackways 44 and 46 carried on the upper surfaces of front and rear mounting rails 30 and 32, respectively. Of course, the number of trays in the upper levels will necessarily be less than the number which could 'be accommodated in a side-by-side relationship bemy prior US. Pat. No. 3,700,118, and employed to store any desired record material, such as for instance, checks, cards, or the like.

A pair of front elongated panel members 50, which form decorative facings or knee protection devices, are applied to cover the forwardly or outwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of front mounting rails 30, and suitably fixed in place, as by fasteners 52, which connect ends of front panel members to guide tracks 42 in the manner indicated only in FIG. 3. Front panel members 50 additionally serve as stops closing the lower ends of guide track sections 424 and provide an upwardly facing abutment engageable by front bar 38 to define the closed position of the roll top. If desired, front panel members 50 and front bars 38 may be fitted with cooperating elements of a key operated latch device, not shown, in order to provide for record security.

Assembly of unit may be completed by the application of decorative or facing panels 56 to the inner surfaces of end panels 14.

The roll top 34 and the guide track sections 40a-40d ofeach module are dimensioned such that when the roll top is in its closed position, it extends from an associated front panel member 50 essentially coextensively with guide track sections 42a and 42b and has its last element 40 positioned adjacent the juncture of sections 42b and 42c to lie beneath bridging member 20. When the roll top is in fully opened position, as indicated in FIG. 1 and in phantom'line in FIG. 3, front bar 38 is arranged adjacent the rear of section 42b and last element 40n is disposed adjacent the forward end of section 42d beneath panel 28 in a position determined by engagement with a suitable stop device, not shown.

The above described construction results in an economically fabricated and easily assembled unit, which provides back-to-back working stations or areas, which are visually isolated and cooperate to supply security one from another.

In this connection, it will be understood that when one or the other of the roll tops is moved into its open position to permit use at its associated work station, it additionally serves to prevent access to the rear of its adjacent module, which would otherwise be possible if the roll top of the adjacent module was in its closed condition. Of course, when both tops are in open position, they cooperate to block vision and/or face-to-face conversation across the unit. Another particularly important feature of thepresent construction is that the modules cooperate with the supporting end panels to provide an extremely rigid contruction, even though the individual structural elements forming same are of relatively light guage materials.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative form of the present invention wherein unit 10 is increased in length by an additional pair of modules 12a joined to one end of modules 12' such that their associated panels 28a and 28', rails 30a and 30 and 32a and 32 are arranged in end abutting engagement to permit movement of trays 36 lengthwise of the whole unit. Panels 14 serve to support opposite ends of joined modules, whereas a vertically standing pedestal 60 is provided to support the adjacently disposed ends thereof. In this construction, the adjacently disposed module end frames 24 and 24a are preferably covered with a molding strip 62 in order to hide the juncture therebetween and are cut away together with their associated guide tracks to define generally L-shaped fronts 64. Fronts 64 are supported adjacent a mid-point of the top portions of end frames 24 and 24a by hinge devices 66 for vertically swinging-movement between the roll top closed position illustrated in solid line and the roll top open position indicated in phantom line. If desired, latch devices, not shown, may be employed to releasably retain the fronts in either of their positions. This construction allows a clerk to work across the junction of the end connected modules without bumping against or being impeded by their adjacent end frames.

I claim:

1. A record storage unit, characterized as having visually isolated, back-to-back working stations, said unit comprising in combination:

a pair of like record storage, working station defining modules, each of said modules including a pair of essentially rectangular end frames interconnected by and upstanding relative to opposite ends of a trough shaped storage device having a bottom wall and front and rear walls connected to upstand from front and rear marginal edges of said bottom wall, a roll top, and a pair of guide tracks carried one on each of said end frames for slideably supporting opposite ends of said roll top for movement between working station closed and open positions, each of said guide tracks being generally rectangular and having interconnected front, top, rear and bottom sections, said bottom section being arranged below said bottom wall, said rear section being arranged rearwardly of said rear wall, said front and rear walls extending substantially the same distance above said bottom wall and having upper surfaces thereof disposed substantially below said top section of said guide tracks, said upper surfaces carry ing trackways extending lengthwise of said modules, and said roll topand said guide track sections being dimensioned such that when said roll top is in closed position it extends essentially coextensively with said front and top sections and when in open position it extends'essentially coextensively with said rear and bottom sections;

a pair of like vertically upstanding end panels;

means to fix opposite ends of said modules to facing surfaces of said end panels, whereby said modules are supported thereby in a horizontally disposed, back-to-back relationship to permit a roll top of one of said modules to visually isolate and prevent access to the rear of the other of said modules when in either of said positions thereof; and

a plurality of open topped, record storage trays supported in at least two levels by each of said modules for access only when said roll top is in open position, said storage trays of a lowermost of said levels being supported on said bottom wall, and said storagetrays of an uppermost of said levels being supported on said trackways for movement lengthwise thereof.

2. A storage unit according to claim 1, wherein pairs of said modules are connected end to end and opposite ends of the end connected modules are supported by said end panels, a vertically standing pedestal is provided to support adjacently disposed ends of said end connected modules, and adjacently disposed end frames of said end connected modules and their associated guide tracks are cut to define generally L-shaped fronts, said fronts being hingedly supported adjacent tions thereof and an upper roll top open position wherein said fronts are displaced sufficiently to allow for unimpeded movements of a clerk between working stations defined by said end connected modules. 

1. A record storage unit, characterized as having visually isolated, back-to-back working stations, said unit comprising in combination: a pair of like record storage, working station defining modules, each of said modules including a pair of essentially rectangular end frames interconnected by and upstanding relative to opposite ends of a trough shaped storage device having a bottom wall and front and rear walls connected to upstand from front and rear marginal edges of said bottom wall, a roll top, and a pair of guide tracks carried one on each of said end frames for slideably supporting opposite ends of said roll top for movement betWeen working station closed and open positions, each of said guide tracks being generally rectangular and having interconnected front, top, rear and bottom sections, said bottom section being arranged below said bottom wall, said rear section being arranged rearwardly of said rear wall, said front and rear walls extending substantially the same distance above said bottom wall and having upper surfaces thereof disposed substantially below said top section of said guide tracks, said upper surfaces carrying trackways extending lengthwise of said modules, and said roll top and said guide track sections being dimensioned such that when said roll top is in closed position it extends essentially coextensively with said front and top sections and when in open position it extends essentially coextensively with said rear and bottom sections; a pair of like vertically upstanding end panels; means to fix opposite ends of said modules to facing surfaces of said end panels, whereby said modules are supported thereby in a horizontally disposed, back-to-back relationship to permit a roll top of one of said modules to visually isolate and prevent access to the rear of the other of said modules when in either of said positions thereof; and a plurality of open topped, record storage trays supported in at least two levels by each of said modules for access only when said roll top is in open position, said storage trays of a lowermost of said levels being supported on said bottom wall, and said storage trays of an uppermost of said levels being supported on said trackways for movement lengthwise thereof.
 2. A storage unit according to claim 1, wherein pairs of said modules are connected end to end and opposite ends of the end connected modules are supported by said end panels, a vertically standing pedestal is provided to support adjacently disposed ends of said end connected modules, and adjacently disposed end frames of said end connected modules and their associated guide tracks are cut to define generally L-shaped fronts, said fronts being hingedly supported adjacent mid-points of top portions of their associated adjacently disposed end frames for vertical swinging movement between a lower roll top closed position wherein said associated guide tracks are arranged to guide roll tops of said end connected modules into closed positions thereof and an upper roll top open position wherein said fronts are displaced sufficiently to allow for unimpeded movements of a clerk between working stations defined by said end connected modules. 